February 14, 2017 – Good news for emigrants, OFWs, and vacationing migrants – you may now register as overseas voter at the Commission on Filipinos Overseas – Manila.

As part of the government's extensive campaign to encourage overseas Filipinos to register and vote for the upcoming 2019 midterm national elections and in accordance with R.A. No. 10590 (Overseas Voting Act of 2013), the Commission on Elections (COMELEC), Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and CFO formally open the Overseas Voters Registration Center at CFO Manila on February 6, 2017. The Center is open during office hours (Monday-Friday, 8am–5pm) until September 30, 2018, which is the last day of registration.

This is following the signing of a tripartite memoranda of agreement by the DFA-OVS and COMELEC-OFOV with the CFO, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), and the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) for the continuing registration/certification of qualified overseas Filipinos on January 31, 2017 at the DFA Main Office, Pasay City. Among those present during the MOA signing were DFA-OVS Chair Ariel Y. Abadilla, COMELEC Commissioner Arthur Lim, and CFO Interim OIC Maria Regina Angela Galias. The agreement allows the concerned agencies to jointly establish overseas voter registration facilities for departing overseas Filipinos who are qualified to be overseas voters. Previously, in the past two elections, the CFO inked agreement with the DFA and COMELEC to host an overseas voting center at the CFO Main Office. Those about to leave for abroad who are not yet registered as overseas voter, may avail the registration services of the Center. This will save them time and resources, especially if their residences in their destination countries will be far away from the Philippine embassies and consulates, where they could also register.

The 2016 overseas voter registration netted a cumulative total of 1,376,067 active registered overseas voters. The overseas voters’ turn-out for the 2016 national election is 31% (432,706), the highest after 2004. “The COMELEC Office for Overseas Voting and the DFA Overseas Voting Secretariat, have set an ambitious “stretch” goal of a total of 1.1 million new overseas voter registrants” according to Undersecretary Abadilla.

All Filipino citizens who expect to be abroad from April 13 to May 13, 2019 during the overseas voting period for the 2019 national election, are at least 18 years old on May 13, 2019, and not otherwise disqualified by law, may also register as an overseas voter, at all Philippine Foreign Service Posts including the three Manila Economic and Cultural Offices (MECO) in Taiwan and Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Al-Khobar (for an updated list please visit www.dfa-oavs.gov.ph or www.comelec.gov.ph).